"Maintaining a high level of academic performance has always been a high priority at Samford," Newton said. "These scores show that our student-athletes are working as hard in the classroom as they do on the field. We are extremely proud of the progress our student-athletes have made this year and look for even more in the future."

In the most recent APR report, the Samford football team's single-year score was 980 out of a possible 1000. The score is an improvement from the previous year's score of 960.

In the four-year multi-year report, Samford football scored a 976. The previous multi-year score for the Bulldogs was 970.

The single-year average for all of Samford's 17 sports was an impressive 989. Samford's overall multi-year average was 977.2.

In addition to the academic success of the program, Samford football has enjoyed consistent success on the field as well. In 2016, the team posted its sixth-straight winning season. The Bulldogs reached the NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs for the second time in the last four years.

The APR compilations, first made public in 2005, are based on academic eligibility, retention and graduation rates for student-athletes at every NCAA Division I member institution. Samford competes in eight men's and nine women's varsity sports at the Division I level.